HOLT, Fla., May 16, 2024—The nation’s biggest one-day food drive of the year passed Holt by Saturday.

The National Association of Letter Carriers annual Stamp Out Hunger® food drive came and went with no advance notification.

As a result, the Holt Community Food Pantry is left holding an empty bag.

In years past, letter carriers would leave a plastic bag in each mailbox for residents to stuff with food the carriers would pick up while making their delivery rounds. During the last few years, the bags went away, but each mailbox would receive a postcard reminder about the drive.

This year, there were no postcards in any Holt mailboxes, so there was no food to pick up as carriers made their mail delivery rounds during last Saturday’s drive.

It is unclear why local carriers did not receive food drive notification cards to distribute throughout the area.

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Related: “Food drive stocks pantry shelves“

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Previous years’ drives brought in between 2,500 to 3,500 pounds of dried and canned goods locally. It took six pantry volunteers more than four hours to sort and stack donations from last year’s food drive.

This year Holt received 20 plastic grocery bags.

“We depend on this annual drive to help stock our canned and dry goods for the mid-year period,” said pantry director Donna Ash. “This year’s drive was very disappointing.”

People wishing to help the pantry can drop off food donations to the Holt Post Office, the Holt Water Office or the First Baptist Church of Holt, or call for pickup at 850-240-5287 or 850-537-2170.

The pantry will take any donated non-perishable food item with a current expiration date. The pantry accepts fresh garden produce from local farmers as well.

“It’s never too late to donate to the pantry,” Ash said.

Monetary donations to the food pantry are also accepted and can be mailed to: First Baptist Church of Holt Food Pantry, P. O. Box 38, Holt, FL 32564.